Home bar unit



Dec, 11, 1951 a HOLMES 2,577,850

HOME BAR UNIT Filed April 6, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l IN V EN TOR.

Wank 6 Hoimes Dec. 11, 1951 HOLMES 2,577,850

HOME BAR UNIT Filed April 6, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR. Farah HO/f/E'PS AWUHMS)" Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOME BAR UNIT Frank G. Holmes, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application April 6, 1948, Serial No. 19,411 Claims. (01. 312-1402) This invention relates to extendable bars, as for home, club or other use.

The object of the invention is to provide a bar structure, comprised of a number of different subdivisions which normally and when the bar is not in use are interfitted to provide a compact decorative cabinet combination closed all over, but which may have its subdivisions relatively moved to open up the bar, thereby to make accessible its storage means, give ample Working space for the host or other bar attendant, and provide a plurality of bar counters each located at one of the four corners of the bar; which counters, due to the fact that the bar when opened is expanded horizontally both along its length and along its width, are all well spaced one from the others.

A feature of the invention is an arrangement whereby a single pull on a front handle first separates some of the bar parts a minordistance in a direction away from the back wall of the bar structure, and then, as the pull is continued, the separation last described continues to the intended extent, thereby to considerably spacea front cabinet unit forward of a rear cabinet unit, and, simultaneously, to cause sections of the front cabinet unit to move in opposite directions across the front of the bar structure, and also to cause sections of the rear cabinet unit simultaneously to move in opposite directions across the back of the bar structure.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means whereby, incidental to said movements of said sections of the rear cabinet unit, each of these forms a bar counter as above and in doing this to uncover the top of the rear cabinet, a means including one or more shelves in the rear cabinet is raised to such a height in said cabinet that the supplies stored on such shelves, as bottles of whiskey, gin, ginger ale, soda, hitters, etc., are raised to a conveniently reachable position.

The forward cabinet is provided with suitable storage means for other supplies, as various drinking glasses, which supplies are also made readily accessible due to the aforesaid movements of sections of the front cabinet; these sections also providing separate bar counters.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, showing a now favored embodiment of the invention, in normal or closed condition.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing a rearrangement of the parts as effected by the said first minor-distance pull on a cabinet part presenting a pull handle.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the bar structure fully open.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 1, but with portions of the two side walls of the rear cabinet shown in top plan; this view being drawn to about twice the scale of Figs. 1-3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on a further en larged scale, and with certain cabinet parts partially broken away and partially in section, showing the mechanisms seen at the left in Fig. 4; such mechanisms being duplicated on the opposite side of the cabinet structure.

Fig. 6 is a partial vertical section, taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 4, and drawn to substantially the same scale as Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a partial vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 'l-'i of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

The extendable bar, according to the present invention, includes a rear cabinet 15, having horizontally slidably openable semi-lids l6 and Il. Normally, as shown in Fig. 1, a front cabinet is engaged into the rear cabinet in a smooth and decorative merger with the rear cabinet I5.

The front cabinet comprises a pair of sections l3 and l9, which are alike, except that one is reversed in structure relative to the other. The nature of the section I9 will be understood from a description of the section l8. Each of the, sections IS and I9 has, as marked in Fig. 3, a front wall 2%], a side wall 2!, a top wall 22, and a bottom wall 25, see Fig. 5, and is provided on its bottom with caster rollers 24.

The rear cabinet [5 has, as marked in Figs. 3 and 4, a rear wall 26, side walls 2'! and 28, and a bottom wall 29.

Resting on said bottom wall 29 and forwardly slidably withdrawable partially from the rear cabinet I5 is a platform 30 which is hollow as shown in Fig. 5. The platform 30 is somewhat less in width than the interior width of the rear cabinet IE, but is guided for its said sliding movement (see Fig. 4) by two pairs of rollers 3|, each such roller journalled in an inverted U-shaped hanger 32 secured to the underside of the top wall of the platform. Said rollers ride on the floor wall 29 of the rear cabinet 15, with 3 the sides of the hangers guided between a pair of tracks 33 secured to said floor 29.

When the platform 30 is extended fully into the rear cabinet I5, as shown in Fig. 4, the front cabinet structure is arranged as in Fig. 1. At opposite points along the length of the platform which then are, somewhat beyond the forward iimit of the rear cabinet [5, the platform widens (Figs. 4. and sufficiently so that its one side is alongside. the inside surface of the side wall 2i of the section it and its other side is alongside the inside surface of the corresponding wall of the section I9.

The platform 30 at its widened forward por tion. is suitably secured to an auxiliary floor 34 forming part of the front cabinet unit. Such floor is hidden in Figs. 1-3, but it is clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Referring to Fig. 4, where the floor 3 is exposed at its two inner corners, the

floor is of the same width as there indicated.

The rear edge of the floor 34, with the bar structure as in Figs. 1 and 4, edgewisely abuts the forward edge of the bottom wall 29 of the rear cabinet E5. At its front edge the floor 34 is continned as an upwardly extended vertical wall 35. r

Said wall 35, very rigidly secured to the auxiliary floor 34, extends to the full height shown in Fig. 3, that is, so as to have its top just below the undersurface of the top wall 22 of the front cabinet section I 8 and just below the undersurface of the corresponding wall of the front cabinet section 19.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the front cabinet sections l8 and 19 have their bottom walls just below the auxiliary floor 34.

It will also be noted, from Fig. 1, particularly, that with the parts arranged as there shown, while the top wall 22 of the front cabinet section [8 and the corresponding wall of the cabinet section |9 meet at the center of the cabinet structure, the front wall 20 of the section I8 and the corresponding wall of the section [9 are of reduced width, to provide an opening therebetween at the front of the structure. Protruded through such opening is a pull handle 36 secured to the wall 35, which latter wall will hereinafter be called the pull-board.

The rear cabinet rests on feet 31, and the entirety of the front cabinet is supported on the caster rollers 24.

The means for first moving the parts to the condition shown in Fig. 2, and then fully to separate the front cabinet unit from the rear cabinet, when the handle 36 is pulled, will next be described.

At one side of the bottom interior of the rear cabinet l5 there is a rack-bar 38, having one end secured by a bracket 39 to the inner end of the platform 30, the other end of said rack-bar being secured to the auxiliary floor 34 as at 40. Precisely the same arrangement is at the opposite side of the platform 30, as will be noted from Fig. 4.

Hereafter structural and operational descriptions will refer only to the mechanisms at the left side of Fig. 4; since all such mechanisms are duplicated at the right side as shown in Fig. 4, but with certain elements reversely arranged as will be understood.

The first part of the pull on handle 36 moves the parts of the front cabinet unit to slightly separate them from the rear cabinet, as shown in Fig. 2.

During this. outward movement, the teeth of. the rack-bar 38 made engagement with a pinion 4 43 fixed on a vertical shaft 4| journalled at its lower end in the floor 29 of the rear cabinet I! and at its upper end in a bracket 42 (see Fig. 5) attached to the adjacent side wall 21 of the rear cabinet. The pinion 43 is hidden in Fig. 4, but it is shown in Fig. 5; this pinion being housed in the platform but projected partially therefrom, through a side openin 44, for meshing with the teeth of the rack-bar 33. To allow the platform 30 to be moved relative to the rear cabinet I5, without interference from the shaft 41, the top of the platform has a slot 45 through which the shaft 4! passes.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 7, the shaft 4| fixedly carries a sprocket 46 engaged by a. chain 41 which in turn engages a sprocket 43 fixed on a' short shaft 49, journalled in a bracket 50,

which short shaft fixedly carries a pinion 5|.

The bracket 50 is attached to the adjacent side wall 21 of the rear cabinet l5.

Meshing with the pinion 5| is a rack-bar 52, having a terminal side extension 52 whereby this rack-bar is secured to the underside of the half-lid H3 of the rear cabinet; said rack-bar and its extension 52', when the rack-bar 52 is endwisely moved in the direction of the arrow 54 of Fig. 5, passing through a slot 55, see Figs. 1 and 8, in the top of the side wall 2'! of the rear cabinet [5.

Studs 80 have their shanks mounted in the top edge of the side wall 21 of the rear cabinet [5 and their heads 8! engaged in slots 82 formed in the bottom face of lid IS. The heads 8| are retained in position in the slots 82 by means of strips 83 secured to the bottom face of lid l6 by screws 84. As shown in Fig. 8, the bottom faces of the strips 83, which are preferably made of metal, are flush with the bottom face of the lid 16. The engagement of the heads 8| with the slots 82 act to slidably support the lid 15 for outward movement by the rack bar 52.

Consequently, when by pull on the handle 36 the platform 30 is withdrawn to the maximum from the rear cabinet, as limited by a suitable stop means (not shown) partially carried by the platform and partially carried by the bottom wall of the rear cabinet, simultaneously the rackbar 52 is moved through its full stroke in the direction of the arrow 54 of Fig. 5, thus to slide the half-lid Hi to the position shown in Fig. 3, to serve as a rear bar counter spaced across the rear of the bar from another such bar counter provided by a similar but oppositely directed shift of the half-lid I1, and so to open up the top of the rear cabinet l5.

At the same time, the cable 53, attached to the rack-bar 52 adjacent its said extension 52', is pulled up over a roller 56, J'ournalled in suitable brackets. Such brackets are not shown in Fig. 5, but are similar to the brackets 51 shown in Fig. 3 for the roller corresponding to the roller 56 and at the opposite side of the cabinet IS. The cable 53, beyond the roller 56, branches into two cables 58 and 59, connected at their lower ends to spaced points along the adjacent side of a shelf 60. Thus, when the half-lids I 6 and I1 are arranged as in Fig. 3, the shelf 60 is elevated.

Said shelf 60 has a center post 6| fixedly carrying a higher and smaller shelf 62; these shelves for carrying, say, bottled goods.

Furthermore, simultaneously with the raising of the shelves 6D and 62, and the separating movement of the half-lids l6 and 11, these resulting from the full forward movement of the pull-board 35 to the position shown in Fig. 3,

and the consequent drive of the pin 43 by the rack-bar 38 transmitted to the rack-bar 52 through the sprockets 46 and 48 and the pinion 5|, the two sections is and 19 of the front cabinet unit are given separating movements to dispose them as shown in Fig. 3, thereby to establish their tops as two further bar counters spaced across the front of the structure, and to open up the space in rear of the pull-board 35, which latter may carry any number of shelves for carrying, say, drinking glasses. By way of example, one such shelf is indicated at 53.

The means whereby the section I8 is thus moved is, as shown'in Fig. 4, and as has been hereinabove pointed out, exactly like the means employed for moving the section l9 similarly but in the opposite direction. Therefore, here also, it will sufiice to describe such means as present in connection with the section I8.

Referring, then, to the left side of Fig. 4, and also to Figs. 5 and 6, a rack-bar 64 is secured at one end as at 65 to the bottom wall 29 of the rear cabinet l5. Mounted to mesh with the rack-bar 64 is a pinion 66 fixed on a short vertical shaft 671 journalled at its top in the top wall of the hollow platform 30 and at its bottom in the auxiliary floor 34; said shaft also carrying a sprocket 68, this and the pinion '86 located within the interior of the hollow platform. Also inside the latter is a chain 69 coupling the sprocket 68 to a sprocket l0.

Said sprocket it is fixed on a long vertical shaft H. The shaft H is journalled at its bottom, as at 12 (Fig. 5), on the auxiliary floor 34; and said shaft, above the sprocket 10, passes through an aperture in the top wall of the platform 30, and near its top is journalled in a bracket 13 attached to the pull-board 35 of the front cabinet section, as shown in Fig. 4.

Above said bracket the shaft H has fixed thereon a pinion M, meshing with a rack-bar 15; which latter has a terminal side extension 15 whereby the rack-bar is secured to the underside of the top wall 22 of the front cabinet section l8.

Only the front portion of the rack-bar 64 is formed with teeth, so as to form a lost motion drive, and the teeth are so disposed that they do not mesh with the gear 66 until the front cabinet has been pulled out to the position shown in Fig. 2, entirely disengaging the front cabinet from the rear cabinet l5. In this pulled out position the sections l8 and IQ of the front cabinet are free to be separated, and the gears 66 will then mesh with the teeth on the rear portions of the rack-bars 34 to move the sections 18 and I9 apart.

Consequently, by drive from the rack-bar 64 to the pinion S6 and thence through the sprockets 6B and 10 and the shaft H to the pinion I4, and the rack-bar 15, the section I8 is moved on its roller casters 24 to the position shown in Fig. 3 (and the section I9 is simultaneously moved to the position shown for it in Fig. 3 by operating parts corresponding to those just mentioned), thus to provide the tops of the sections I8 and I9 as further bar counters separated from each other; simultaneously with the disposal of the other bar structure parts as illustrated in Fig. 3

and as already described.

Now, therefore, with the bar structure thus fully expanded, the supplies on the shelves '60 I end of the platform 30 is fully reinserted intothe rear cabinet l5; as accompaniments of which operation, the half-lids l5 and I1 of the rear cabinet move together to close the top of the latter, the shelves and 62 meanwhile lower.- ing themselves by their own weight, and, as the sections is and I9 are moved together and then,

into the rear cabinet l5, said sections travel toward each other to bring their top walls together to close in completely the top of the front cabinet unit.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An expansible bar structure comprising a rear cabinet unit, a front cabinet unit, laterally oppositely movable sections forming parts of said front unit, a platform connected to the front unit and forwardly withdrawable from the rear unit, pull means associated with the front unit for moving said platform relative to the rear unit to separate the two units, means carried by said front unit and=connected to said sections and responsive to operation of said pull means for laterally oppositely moving said sections relative to the remainder of the front unit, each of said sections having a side wall, a front wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, and said front unit including an auxiliary floor member overlying the bottom wall of both sections, there being anti-friction floor engaging means at the underside of the bottom Wall of each section, and said auxiliary floor member being the part of said front unit to which said platform is connected.

2. An expansible bar structure comprising a rear cabinet unit, a front cabinet unit, laterally oppositely movable sections forming parts of said front unit, a platform connected to the front unit and forwardly withdrawable from the rear unit, pull means associated with the front unit for moving said platform relative to the rear unit to separate the two units, means carried by said front unit and connected to said sections and responsive to operation of said pull means for laterally oppositely moving said sections relativeto the remainder of the front unit,

each of said sections having a side wall, a front wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said front unit including an auxiliary floor member overlying the bottom wall of both sections, there being anti-friction floor engaging means at the underside of the bottom wall of each section, and said auxiliary floor member being the part of said front unit to which said platform is connected, there being a vertical front wall upstanding from said auxiliary floor member, the rear sides of the front walls of said sections abutting the forward side of said vertical wall when the bar structure is collapsed.

3. An expansible bar structure comprising a rear cabinet unit, a front cabinet unit, laterally oppositely movable sections forming parts of said front unit, a platform connected to the from unit and forwardly withdrawable from the rear unit, pull means associated with the front unit for moving said platform relative to the rear unit to separate the two unitameans carried by said front unit and connected to sai'd sections and responsive to operation of said pull means for laterally oppositely moving said sections relative to the remainder of the front unit, each of said sections having a side wall, 'a front wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said front unit including an auxiliary "flo'or member overlying the bottom wall of both sections, there being anti-friction floo'r engaging means at the underside of the bottom wall of each section, and said auxiliary floor meinb'e'r being the part of said front unit to which said platform is connected, there beinig, a vertical front wall upstanding from said aiiiriiiiafy floor member, the rear sides of the front walls of said sections abutting against the forward "side of said vertical wall when the bar structure collapsed, said from walls of said sections being of less width than the top walls of said sections, whereby with said top walls abutting at their facing side edges when the bar structure is collapsed, to cover the top of the front unit, the central portion of said vertical wall is exposed.

4. An expansible bar structure comprising a rear cabinet unit, a front cabinet unit, laterally oppositely movable sections forming parts of said front unit, a, platform connected to the front unit and forwardly withdrawable from the rear unit, pull means associated with the front unit for moving said platform relative to the rear unit to separate the two units, means carried by said front unit and connected to said sections and responsive to operation of said pull mean for laterally oppositelymoving said sections relative to the remainder of the front unit, each of said sections having a side wall, a front wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said front unit including an auxiliary floor member overlying the bottom wall of both sections, there being anti-friction floor engaging means at the underside of the bottom wall of each section, and said auxiliary floor member being the part of said front unit to which said platform is connected, there being a vertical front wall upstanding from said auxiliary floor member, the rear sides of the front walls of said sections abutting against the forward side of said vertical wall when the bar structure is collapsed,- said front walls of said sections being of less width than the top walls of said sections, where by with said top walls abutting at their facing side edges when the bar structure is collapsed, to cover the top of the front unit, the central portion of said vertical wall is exposed, said pull means being carried at the front of said vertical wall where the latter is uncovered by the front walls of said sections.

5. An expansible bar structure comprising a rear cabinet unit, a front cabinet unit, laterally oppositely movable sections forming parts of said front unit, a platform connected to the front unit and forwardly withdrawable' from the rear unit, pull means associated with the ifbnt unit for moving said platform relative to the rear unit to separate the two units, means carried by said front unit and connected to said sections and responsive to operation of said pull means for laterally oppositely moving said sections relative to the remainder of the front unit, the rear unit having two half -lids oppositely horizontally movable to separation later-ally of the bar structure to uncover the top of said unit, there being mass esseiisws also to operation of said pull means, for thus inoving sale lids.

'6. An "expansible bar structure comprising 5. rear cabinet unit, a front cabinet unit, laterally oppositely 'inovable sections forming parts of said front unit, a platform connected'tothefront unit and forwardly tv'ithdrawable from the rear u'nit, pull n'iean's associated with the front unit-for movin said swarm relative to the rear unit to 'separat'e the two time, means carried by said front unit and to said sections and responsive to operation of said pull means for laterally oppositely moving said sections relative to the remainder of the front unit, the rear unit having two half-lids oppositely horizontally movable to separation laterally arm bar structure to uncover the top of said unit, there being means, responsive also to operation of said pull means, for thus moving said half-lids, storage means for barsupplies in said rear unit, said storage means being upwardly movable in said unit, and means, responsive also to operation of said pull means, for moving said storage means upwardly in said unit.

7. An expansible bar structure comprising a rear cabinet imit, a front cabinet unit, laterally oppositely movable sections forming parts of said front unit, a platform connected to the front unit and forwardly withdrawable from the rear unit, pun nie'aii's associated with the front unit for moving said platform relative to the rear unit to separate the two units, means carried by said front unit and connected to said sections and responsive to operation of said pull mean s for laterally oppositely moving said sections relative to the remainder of the front unit, each of said sections having a side wall, a front wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said front unitincluding an auxiliar floor member overlying the bottom wall or both sections, there being anti-fric tion floor engaging means 'at the underside of the bottom wall of each section, and said auxiliary floor member being the part of said front unit to which said platform is connected, said auxiliary floor member underlying said platform, and said sections when moved as aforesaid relative to the remainder of the front unit functioning to widen the front unitand uncover the top of the center section thereof. H

8. An expansion b'ar structure comprising a rear cabinet uriit, a front cabinet unit, laterally oppositely movable sections formin parts of said front unit, a platform connected to the front unit and forwardly wlthdrawable from the rear unit, pull means associated with the front unit for moving said platform relative to the rear unit to separate the two units, and means carried by said front unit and connected to said sections and responsive to operation of said pull means for laterally oppositelymoving said sections relative to the remainder of the front unit, and means slidably supporting said laterally movable sec tions for outward movement.

9. An eiipansible bar structure comprising a rear cabinet 'unit, a front cabi'net unit, laterally oppositely movable sections forming parts of said rear unit, a platform connected to the front unit and forwardly wimarsivamenom the rear unit, pull means associated with the front unit for Ifiii'vihg said platform relative to the rear unit to separate the two units, and means carried by said front unit and connected to said sections and re sb'o'fis'ive to operation (if Said plill means for iaterally oppositely moving said sections relative to the remainder of the rear unit, and means slid ably supporting said laterally movable sections for outward movement, said supporting means comprising head studs mounted on said rear cabinet unit and slidably received in complementary recesses formed in the bottom faces of said laterally movable sections.

10. An expansible bar structure comprising a rear cabinet unit, a front cabinet unit, laterally oppositely movable sections forming parts of said front unit, a platform connected to the front unit and forwardly withdrawable from the rear unit, pull means associated with the front unit for moving said platform relative to the rear unit to separate the two units, means carried by said front unit and connected to said sections and responsive to operation of said pull means for laterally oppositely moving said sections relative to the remainder of the front unit, each of said sections havinga side wall, a front wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said front unit including an auxiliary floor member overlying the bottom wall of both sections there being anti-friction floor engaging means at the underside of the bottom wall of each section, and said auxiliary floor member being the part of said front unit to which said platform is connected, said auxiliary floor 10 member underlying said platform, and said sections when moved as aforesaid relative to the remainder of the front unit functioning to widen the front unit and uncover the top of the center section thereof, said means for moving the section of the front cabinet unit including a lostmotion drive arranged to move said sections only after said front cabinet unit has been partially separated from said rear cabinet unit.

FRANK G. HOLMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 971,059 Lutz Sept. 27, 1910 2,140,418 Dilts Dec. 13, 1938 2,141,468 Hamaker Dec. 27, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 405,167 Great Britain Feb. 1, 1934 678,669 France Apr. 3, 1930 

